


My Burning Heart

by imaginethat_peepshow



Category: Bleach
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fanart, Multi, Threesome
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-09
Updated: 2018-12-08
Packaged: 2019-09-14 14:01:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16914204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imaginethat_peepshow/pseuds/imaginethat_peepshow
Summary: Kensei has to face a lot of changes when he returns to his old position of Captain after his long exile. The change he was least prepared for was falling in love. It's tricky to balance his job and his new, energetic girlfriend from Squad 11.





	1. Yasuko Shidehara

Notice her? Of course he noticed her. How could he not? The 11th Division hadn’t accepted a female recruit since Lieutenant Kusajishi, and she didn’t really count. After her graduation ceremony and dispersal of orders, there wasn’t a soul in the Seireitei who didn’t know the name Yasuko Shidehara.

 Kensei Muguruma had been the Captain of the 9th Division for decades, even ignoring his time exiled in the World of the Living. There wasn’t a soul in the whole Soul Society who didn’t know his name. So how  _the hell_  was getting  _her_ attention the problem? 

 He wasn’t sure when it happened, but one day he went to bed realizing he’d been thinking about her all day. It wasn’t the graduation ceremony; there were a dozen recruits he wanted to keep an eye on. It wasn’t the first time he saw her sparring, or when she ran into him because she was running late, or even the time she brought an article in for the newspaper. Maybe it was the first time he saw her off duty, dressed in plainclothes? Or maybe it was when he overheard some men in his division talking about her. Whatever the cause, there came a day when he couldn’t get her off his mind. 

That day, he dropped his head on his desk in despair. It had been an unendingly long week and he had a pounding headache to show for it. He couldn’t focus. Every time he started writing his mind would wander until the tightening in his gut made him realize he was thinking about her again. 

 “What the hell…” He groaned. “Little brat, leave me alone.” 

 “Is this a bad time?” Shuhei’s voice sounded. 

 “What? No. I didn’t hear you come in.” He explained, straightening. 

 “I just wanted to see if you had anything else for me to do before I left for the day.” The look of curiosity didn’t leave the lieutenant’s face. 

 “No. In fact I’m headed out too.” Kensei declared, standing. Outside the 9th Division headquarters the cool air helped to soothe his headache. 

 “Captain, aren’t you going this way?” Shuhei started to turn, but Kensei kept walking. 

 “Nah, I’m gonna go check out the 11th Division. I think they’re running exercises this afternoon. I wanna see how that girl is doing.”

 “Alright then.” He followed. “It’s been like a month since her graduation and the hype still hasn’t died down.” 

 “Tell me about it. I can’t go anywhere without hearing something about her.” Maybe that was the problem. Maybe that was why he thought about her all the time. 

 Near the 11th Division barracks was a practice field at the bottom of a steep hill. At the top, Captain Zaraki oversaw the newest recruits along with Ikkaku and Yumichika. All three shouted orders and criticisms at the two dozen young soul reapers below. Kensei and Shuhei stopped a few yards away to observe. “This isn’t the kiddie pool, release your shikai!” Ikkaku commanded. 

“Surge, Moerukoro!” Yasuko cried amid the field of other awakening zanpakuto. The katana in her hand released to a thin blade with a dramatic curve engulfed in dancing red flames. “Sorera Shoshaku!” With a swing, the blaze swelled to a crackling arc of fire that spread across the field. 

“Holy-” Kensei breathed. 

 “Whoa.” Said Shuhei from beside him. “And you said they didn’t award her an officer’s seat?” 

 “No, they didn’t.” He shook his head. “They probably want to see how she holds up.” 

 “What do you mean?” Shuhei couldn’t tear his eyes away from the practice pit.

  “Being the only woman in any division would be tough, but being the only woman in the 11th?” Kensei raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think she’ll survive the hazing. If they don’t seat her, it’ll be easier to promote and reassign her later.” 

 “I see…” He looked away at last. “Are you headed to the barracks now, Captain?” 

 “No, you go ahead.” He waved his lieutenant off. “I’m gonna watch a little more.” Down in the practice pit, Yasuko was herding the other unranked troops around like sheep. Her zanpakuto made her spirit energy flammable, granting her dexterous and precise control over the fires. 

 Eventually, Captain Zaraki called a halt and dismissed the recruits. They filed past on their way to the armory, their faces flushed and their hair soaked with sweat. 

 “Oi, Shidehara.” Kensei barked when Yasuko straggled in. 

 “Yes, Captain Muguruma, sir?” She stood at attention. 

 “Listen, uh.” He looked around to see that no one was in earshot. “I really enjoyed watching you out there.” He flashed a grin. Her eyes got wide. 

 “I am honored by your compliment, sir!” She bowed stiffly. 

 “Huh? No, I-” 

 “Oi! Shidehara!” Ikkaku yelled. “Get your scrawny ass over here or you’ll be scrubbing floors again!” 

“Please excuse me, sir.” She bowed again and darted off. 

 “Hey, hold on!” He hollered after her but it was no use.  _What the hell?_  He felt a small prickling sensation across his nose.  _That should have worked. How did she not understand?_  

 This interaction only worsened his predicament. For the next week he seized every opportunity to talk to her. Each time ended much the same as the first. Every comment was taken as professional criticism, every invitation was taken as official business, and every smirk, wink, and passive touch was virtually ignored. He tossed and turned at night thinking of what he could say if only he could tear her away from her commanding officers for more than five seconds. 

“What’s got you so down, Kensei?” Rangiku prodded, pouring him another drink. 

 “Yeah, you’ve been in a bad mood all week.” Shuhei added. 

 “It’s nothing.” He brushed them off, draining the glass too fast. “Stupid girl.” The drunken haze spread across his face, setting his mouth in motion without his permission. “I don’t get it.” 

 “What?” She wondered. 

 “I thought I was good at this kind of thing. I’ve picked up plenty of chicks before, so what’s her problem?” He tried to take a drink, but his glass was still empty. 

 “Who’s he talking about?” Izuru whispered. 

 “You’re not talking about Shidehara, are you?” Shuhei ventured carefully. 

 “That little brat.” He slammed his cup down. “You know every time I try to hit on her and it just-” He made a swooping motion over his head. “She completely misses it. How can she not tell I’m hitting on her?” 

 “She’s probably intimidated.” Shuhei offered. 

 “Shidehara is really dedicated.” Izuru put in. “I’m not sure she’d notice anyone hitting on her.” 

“Do you need me to say something to her?” Rangiku sang. 

 “What? No!” Kensei exclaimed. 

 “Have it your way.” She shrugged. “She’s a little too young for you anyway.” 

“What the hell does that mean?” Kensei demanded. 

 “She just graduated.” She pushed back. “Girls her age want to date guys her age. Would you understand if a girl her age started flirting with you out of nowhere?” 

“Dammit all.” He stood up and almost fell back down immediately. Steadying himself, he made for the door. Her age didn’t even cross my mind. He wanted to kick himself. 

 Pavement passed under his feet but he barely registered the steps. All he thought about was her face, her awe-inspiring power, and the warm presence that emanated from behind the mask of professionalism.  _That presence…_  It wasn’t until he could feel her spiritual pressure that he realized he was walking towards the 11th Division barracks instead of his own. He stopped outside broad building; nearly all the windows were dark. 

 “Oi! Shidehara!” He bellowed. It’s the middle of the night. He tried to stop himself. “Report for inspection, on the double!” Lights flicked on all through the building. 

 “What’s with the racket?” Someone leaned out their window. 

 “Quiet down there.” Another called. More voices joined in. 

“Shut the fuck up, all of you!” Kensei roared. “Or you’ll be running laps until the sun comes up!” All the complaints were silenced. “Shidehara!” He yelled again. Footsteps tapped down the stairway inside. Yasuko opened the door, still struggling to tie her sleeping robe shut. 

 “C-captain Muguruma?” She stepped barefoot out on to the street. 

 “What is your problem?” He demanded. “Am I too old for you, is that it?” 

“Are… are you drunk?” She leaned in to see his dilated eyes. 

 “Hell yeah, I’m drunk.” He snarled. “And I’d still be drinking and having a good time if it weren’t for you.” 

 “I don’t underst-” 

 “Uhhg, wait. You probably have a boyfriend already, that’s the problem.” He groaned. “If that’s the case, you could have said something!” 

 “What are you talking about?!” She snapped. 

 “Stupid girl, I’ve been trying to ask you out!” He said at last. “Do I have to spell it out?!” 

 “So you think I’m stupid?!” She matched his volume, their voices echoing down the street. “I know what you’re trying to do!” 

“Then why didn’t you say anything?!” He wanted to shake her. 

 “I didn’t know you were so serious!” 

 “Neither did I!” 

“Then how- what was I supposed to do?!” 

“You were supposed to say yes! Then we could both be drunk now and having a great time!” 

“We can’t  _date_!” She cried. “It’s against regulations!” 

 “It is not!” He threw his arms up. “Regulation only dictates conduct  _within a Division_!” 

 “I don’t need people saying I slept my way to a promotion!” Her face was turning red, half from blush and half from anger. 

 “Who is gonna say that?! Everyone knows you’re amazing!” 

 “Huh?!” The embarrassed blush took over her face completely. “

You are!” His voice lowered, revealing his heavy breathing. “You’re scarily smart, unfairly beautiful, wildly talented, and insanely powerful. You’re fucking amazing and I’ll be damned if I miss a shot with someone like you.” They were silent for a long moment, staring at one another with new levels of understanding. 

“You…” Her eyes fell to the ground. “You don’t have much competition, you know? All the guys around here are scared of me.” 

 “Hey,” He tilted her chin up, meeting her gaze once again. “They should be.” When he leaned forward, she fell into the kiss just as hard as he did.


	2. My Captain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Very early in their relationship, Kensei and Yasuko developed a set of hard rules governing their behavior while on duty. 
> 
> 1- Their relationship was not allowed to affect any work-related decisions. (Read as: Yasuko didn’t want any special treatment.)   
> 2- Fallout from unfavorable work-related decisions was not allowed to affect their relationship. (Read as: Kensei didn’t want sex withheld because he had to tell her no.)   
> 3- They are on a strictly first-name basis while off-duty. (Read as: Yasuko can only call Kensei “Captain” while he is actually acting as a captain.)  
> 4- Absolutely no P(ublic)DA while in uniform. (Read as: no making out in front of other soul reapers, no hand holding, no pet names, etc.)   
> 5- Absolutely no P(rivate)DA while in uniform. (Read as: absolutely no sex in Kensei’s office. At all. Ever. Nope nope nope. Negative. Not allowed. Do not pass go do not collect $200. No. Off Limits.) 
> 
>  Nearly all of these rules could be traced back to a single ill thought out incident, which took place on a perfectly unassuming Tuesday in the Squad 9 headquarters. 

 

 The whole of the Squad 9 headquarters was in a frenzy, scrambling in the face of their afternoon deadline. That is, except for Kensei. The majority of the current issue was out of his hands. There was little left for him to do but stand by and do damage control if there was an emergency. There was always the next issue, though. It still needed to be mapped out, and there were half a dozen articles left over from the current issue that needed to be folded in. He thought he had a decent working outline when Yasuko came flying in the door and slapped a rumpled packet of paper on his desk. Make that half-a-dozen-and-one. He lifted his eyes. She was out of breath, disheveled from running. There was a peek of the hickey he left on her neck the previous night visible under her collar. 

“The deadline for this issue was two hours ago, Shidehara.” He said stiffly. 

 “Yes, sir. I-” She began what was sure to be a perfectly reasonable explanation.

  “Save it.” He stopped her, pushed the article back, and returned to his task. “Bring it back for the next issue.” 

 “Sir, I’m afraid you don’t understand.” She strained through her teeth. “It is imperative that this article be printed for  _this_  issue.” 

 “No,  _you_  don’t understand.” Kensei wouldn’t be moved. “These deadlines aren’t arbitrary. The issue has already gone to print.” 

 “Captain Muguruma, please.” Her at-attention posture broke. He felt an unexpected jolt low in his gut. 

_Don’t look at her._  He told himself.  _You won’t be able to say no if you look._  

So he did. 

“There must be, uh…” She looked down, fidgeting with the front of her shihakusho. “There must be some kind of arrangement we can make… Captain.” 

  _What the hell…_  All the blood in his body seemed to rush either to his face or his loins. “I, uh,” He cleared his throat. “I suppose your division sending you was a strategic move.” 

 “Maybe.” Yasuko opened the front of her shirt just enough to reveal a couple more of the love-marks he left on her the night before. “Or maybe I just wanted an excuse to see you again.” 

 “So you brought the article in late on purpose.” He leaned back in his chair, absently trying to rub the blush off his face. 

 “I didn’t say that.” She rounded the desk. Every step she took saw his resolve melt under the warmth of her presence. 

_What the hell… It’s hardly been twelve hours since we last did it… I’m sure she’ll stay over again tonight… but dammit, I want her **now**._ By the time she climbed in to his lap he had no will left to resist. Her weight settled over the aching knot in his pants and her lips settled firmly on his. Grabbing her ass with both hands, he pulled her down harder against his hips and thrust his tongue into her mouth. She let out a small sound of surprise as if she had any right to be. Before she barged in, he assumed his fantasy of banging her in his office would remain just that. A few heated swirls of his tongue saw her confidence return. 

 In one motion he shoved aside half the contents of his desk and laid her down in their place. Once again molding their mouths, he yanked open the front of her shihakusho and hungrily palmed the soft flesh beneath. She didn’t have to do a thing to get her hands on his muscled chest. Fire spread from her fingertips to his skin wherever they made contact. The heat amplified his craving for friction and set his hips grinding into her. 

 Yasuko undid his belt and then her own in a few easy movements. Enough fabric fell away to allow his throbbing cock to make contact with her waiting entrance. 

 “You’re so wet…” He breathed. Impossibly wet. With just his hypersensitive tip he could tell she was practically dripping. 

 “I… prepared.” She admitted, sensing his confusion. Realization spread over his face with the mental image of her touching herself in anticipation of seeing him. It was soon followed by a dark grin. 

 “You’re so diligent, Shidehara.” He teased, pushing barely an inch of himself into her heat. “Ever the over achiever.” He pushed a little deeper, watching her face contort with want. “So how is it you’re so late turning in this article?” A little more… 

“Kensei…” She whined, using her legs to try to pull him closer. 

 “Ah-ah.” He scolded, leaning down to whisper in her ear. “We’re still on duty.” 

“C-captain…” She corrected. His cock twitched painfully. “C-captain Muguruma…” 

 “That’s right…” With an abrupt shove, he buried himself to the hilt. Yasuko cried out in pleasure, angling her hips into his thrust. Without hesitation he pulled out and drove in again. The desk creaked under the force but he didn’t hold back. He pinned her to the surface by her hips and set into her with bruising force. Every drive was a desperate attempt to reach as deep inside her as he could. In seconds she was clutching the edges of the desk, biting back moans that would have reached the whole printing floor if not restrained. 

 “Oh… Captain…” Her voice strained higher. The sound of his title falling from her lips combined with the sight of her eyes cinched shut in pleasure, of her breasts bouncing in rhythm with his thrusts, it was almost too much. His stomach flipped and he almost came early. A well-timed breath saved him, though it sounded more like a choked gasp. 

 “S-say it again.” He demanded despite the danger.  _I can fight it._  He thought.  _I can keep going._  

 “Captain…!” She moaned. “C-captain Muguruma…!” 

The quick rap at the door wasn’t nearly enough warning. All Kensei could do was snap his hips flush to Yasuko’s and try not to fall over from the lost inertia. Shuhei appeared in the opening, a mock-up of the issue in one hand. He was already halfway through whatever he came to say when he froze. Kensei watched the denial and comprehension battle for control on Shuhei’s face amid the rising field of red. 

 “I’ll come back later.” He managed to say before turning to leave. 

 “Nope, too late.” Kensei barked. “What is it?” 

 “Umm…” Shuhei shifted uncomfortably, fixing his eyes to the ceiling. “It’s about the article from Squad 2…” He did his best to explain the problem while unable to hold anything resembling focus. Every sentence was choppy, stopping and starting half a dozen times before getting to the point. Meanwhile Yasuko was still on the desk, facing away and trying to stifle her giggling. Kensei thought he had the situation under control until he felt her inner walls tighten around his shaft. She purposely tensed her muscles until he could feel it. Not just once, but repeatedly. He squeezed her hip warningly, but she wouldn’t stop. Instead she just fought harder to contain the laughter filling her chest. 

 “Here, just, replace it with this.” He grabbed Yasuko’s article from the desk and held it out. Shuhei looked mortified at having to approach them to retrieve it. Every second it took him to stumble across the office felt like an eternity of abject agony. For Kensei it was like restraining a reflex, not thrusting along with the twitching around his cock. Finally, the door was closed again. Yasuko laughed openly, covering her blushing face with her hands. 

 “Oh, so you think this is funny, huh?” Kensei gave her thigh a sharp slap. 

 “I’m sorry, Captain.” She let go the humor with a long breath. “You’re so sexy when you’re giving orders.” She laid her arms above her head just so. The obvious pose did the trick of distracting him from the laughter still clinging to her voice. 

 “Oh yeah?” He cocked an eyebrow. “Here’s an order for you.” Hiking her legs up, he pinned them under his arms. A tentative thrust revealed the new angle and depth the change allowed. “Pipe down and tighten up.”


	3. What She Wants

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In no time at all, Yasuko had Kensei wrapped around her little finger. He’d never admit it, of course, but when they were off duty he couldn’t bring himself to deny her anything. 

She knew when to ask for what, too. They rarely saw each other at work, but when they did it was for official reasons. Anything she asked for while in uniform was a request from an enlisted Soul Reaper to a Captain, and his response went accordingly. If she wanted to go to a particular restaurant on date night, she’d bend her wording until he thought it was his idea. If a street vendor was selling some particularly cute nick-nack, she’d faun over it until he got out his wallet. If she wanted sex, she just said so outright. If she reeeeeeeally wanted something that he was likely to argue over (like, she wanted to take a vacation together to the country, or she wanted to move in with him,) she’d wait until he was halfway to cumming to bring it up. So when his lover suggested a threesome while riding his dick, how could he say no?

* * *

 

 After a few nerve-soothing drinks and a dozen jokes from Yasuko about Kensei and Shuhei’s unresolved sexual tension, the three of them laid out on the Captain’s futon. She was more than happy to act as buffer or surrogate or whatever kind of toy they needed her to be. At first there was little more than careful breathing between them as they explored her body with their hands. For Kensei, it was old hat by now. He knew just the right angle to pull her backside against his hips to best enjoy her grinding. Shuhei learned fast to enjoy her chest pressed against his, even augmented by Kensei’s hand sliding between them. When she kissed him, it was all tongue and uneven breath. 

 With her eyes closed, it was easy to lose which was which. Heavy touches rolled over her every contour in unpredictable paths. There was no mistaking Kensei’s hot kisses on her neck, though. Or the angle of Shuhei’s hand as he hiked her leg over his hip. Slowly, their groping lost the sense of shyness and uncertainty. It was replaced with excited hunger and eagerness. 

The two men worked together to undo her obi and pull her kimono away. Per her usual habit when at Kensei’s house, she wore nothing underneath it. Their hands continued their driven tracing over her exposed skin. It was so warm between them, with her pounding heart pushing her temperature higher. In a few jerking motions, Kensei removed his scarce clothing. His bare chest met her back, and his pulsing cock returned to the sweet spot in the crook of her ass. She busied herself opening the front of Shuhei’s shirt, only to find Kensei’s hand join hers to untie his belt. While she wrapped her fingers around his fully hard shaft, he tugged away the last remnants of fabric between them. 

Kensei followed her leg from Shuhei’s waist, over the curve of her hip, and down the swell of her backside. One finger tested the wetness of her entrance before slipping inside. Shuhei investigated the source of her sudden shudder, and pushed a finger inside as well. Their fingers curled in conflicting rhythms, each one enough to make her moan. Together they reduced her to a panting mess, yanking inconsistently on Shuhei’s dick. 

She was pushed to her back, her free hand guided to Kensei’s thick shaft. They held her legs open, reaching deeper inside. Kensei kept her head against the mattress by a handful of her hair while Shuhei set his mouth to one hard nipple. At least one of them held a thumb to her clit, driving jolts of pleasure through her core. When she came, her fists tightened around the members in her hands so hard that they were moaning right along with her. 

 “You ever sucked dick, Shuhei?” She asked breathily, tugging him away from her sensitive breast by his shaggy hair. 

 “I… uhh…” His expression was a mixture of shock and noncomprehension. 

“You do him and I’ll do you.” She nodded toward Kensei. “Just do what I do.” Wide eyed, he nodded his agreement. Shifting, contorting, they arranged themselves in a sort of circle. Before her partners could even settle, Yasuko wrapped her lips around Shuhei’s cock. Kensei made himself at home between her legs, scraping his tongue over her wet folds. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched in quiet satisfaction while Shuhei cautiously took his Captain’s dick into his mouth. 

 He was already slick with precum, her watering mouth was just icing on the cake at this point. Flicking her tongue in quick circles around the tip triggered a reaction that made it all the way back to her. Shuhei groaned trying to mimic her movements, which drew its own response from Kensei. It was useless, really. Every lick, bob, and suck he tried to recreate was perforated by his uncontrollable moaning. 

 “What the hell are you doing to him?” Kensei ground out, trading his mouth for his fingers when he couldn’t focus any longer. “Shuhei, you gotta quit that.” He did his best, but before long they were unraveling all over again. 

 “I’m sorry.” Shuhei panted. “I can’t. She’s- she’s too much.” 

 “Finish him off.” Kensei ordered, pinning Shuhei on his back. Yasuko twisted to her knees, using the full range of motion the length of his dick allowed her. Positioning himself behind her, Kensei nudged her legs open. Even with so much natural lube, his girth took several tentative thrusts to settle inside. 

 “Holy shit…” Shuhei gasped quietly, running his fingers through his hair. She was merciless, sucking as hard and swallowing as deep as she could. “That feels so good…” 

 “Give him some of that humming he was giving me.” Kensei gave her ass a short slap. She obeyed, rolling a long low note through her lips. 

 “Ohhh…” His head ground into the futon, arching his shoulders up. 

 “Go on, pull her hair.” He continued, driving harder into her core. “Hold her where you want her.” Shuhei grabbed blindly for her hair, harshly restricting the angle of her surging. She made up the difference with her tongue, rapidly teasing his seam. Tension coiled in her gut, spreading with each stroke. He let out a long breath, as if to steady himself, but it did nothing. His cock twitched in her mouth, stiffening past his brink. 

 “I’m gonna… I’m gonna cum.” He warned tensely. 

 “Then cum.” Kensei grunted, his thrusts making distinct slapping sounds against her skin. When he did, his hips jerked upwards in involuntary pulses. Hot cum filled her mouth and slid down her throat as she swallowed around his head. He gasped for air, arms falling limp to his sides. 

 “What a cute face.” Yasuko purred. “I wanna see him make it again.” 

 “Hear that, Shuhei?” Kensei prodded, his words punctuated by his continuing drives. “Think you can manage another round?” 

 “Yeah, just… just give me a minute.” He drew steadily more even breaths. A hungry glint flashed across his hooded eyes as he watched them, looming over his naked body and fucking like he wasn’t there. The sight sent a threatening jolt through the knot in her core.

 “You can still touch her, you know.” Kensei said lowly, his eyes fixed on Shuhei’s face. 

 “Hold her up, then.” He lifted her shoulders until her back was upright against Kensei’s chest, allowing him unhindered access to her breasts. 

“Oh…” The new angle Kensei came in at, and the force required to push inside wound her up tight. Shuhei kneaded her soft flesh in his hands, pinching her nipples in rhythm with Kensei’s thrusts. They kissed opposite sides of her neck, tickling the small hairs with their heated breath. “Kensei… Shuhei…” Everywhere her hands landed was sweat-slick muscle. Tension wracked her whole body, heightening her voice to a whine. Groping blindly between their bodies, she grabbed Shuehei’s semi-hard cock in one hand. She pressed the tip into the top of her fold, rubbing it against her swollen clit. “Uhnn…” Every muscle in her body stiffened, locking until the only movement was blood rushing through her veins. Pleasure exploded in her core, unspooling the tension in hard pulses, each one pushing a wordless cry from her lips. 

 “Oh yeah…” Kensei moaned. “Just a little more…” Seconds after the last squeeze of her walls around his shaft, he came with a shudder. A thick line of fluid ran down her inner thigh. For a long moment, there was nothing but heavy breathing between the three as they collapsed on the bed. 

 “Ready for your turn?” Yasuko raised an eyebrow at Shuhei, who looked uncertainly to Kensei. 

 “Go crazy.” He waved them on. “I’ll jump back in when I’m ready.” 

 “Ok,” Shuhei smirked, climbing on top of her. He and Kensei had probably the same volume of flesh to fill her with, but it was distributed quite differently. Where Kensei was thick, providing amazing friction with every thrust, Shuhei was long, reaching deep with each roll of his hips. He propped himself on his elbows, chewing his lip while he watched her body move under him. For several minutes Kensei just watched, gently massaging his recovering dick. Before long, he couldn’t keep his hands to himself. He pulled her by the jaw into a steamy kiss, making a show of licking her lips. Caressing every curve, he felt down her body to the place it met with Shuhei’s. His fingers slid between them, pressing into her fold until he could feel his lieutenant’s slick shaft pumping in and out of her heat. 

 Little by little he adjusted their posture for everyone’s benefit. He showed Shuhei the way she liked to be held down, and had him fold his legs under her thighs, hiking her legs up so he could drive deeper inside her. Yasuko’s mouth fell open as she watched Kensei kneel behind Shuhei. He was lost; eyes cinched shut in clouded ecstasy as Kensei’s hands wandered from her skin to his. Seeing Kensei wrap one hand around Shuhei’s throat tightened her nipples until they hurt. His other hand reached low, running his fingers into the dark patch of hair at the base of Shuhei’s shaft. 

 The change in Shuhei’s face as Kensei pushed inside him was almost enough to push her over the edge. He moaned unevenly, throwing his head back into Kensei’s shoulder. Control over their pace fell to the captain. He went slow and heavy, the force of his thrusts grinding Shuhei into her. She managed to hook her feet around Kensei’s legs, bringing them all the closer together. 

 “Uhnn…” Their collective sounds of pleasure grew louder with each pass, Shuhei most of all. Trapped between them, he could do nothing but sound his tortured satisfaction. 

 When Kensei twisted his hand to rub a thick finger against her clit, it was Yasuko’s turn to be loudest. The unexpected stimulation shot through her already overwrought system. Her legs seized, tightening everything between her and Kensei. So intense was her orgasm that she bucked her hips into Shuhei’s in a frenzied need to dispel the waves afflicting her body. Her walls clenched around every inch of Shuhei’s dick inside her, dragging him over the edge with her. His arms gave out and he collapsed on top of her. 

 “Had enough?” Kensei chuckled slightly. 

 “Yes.” Shuhei panted. “I’m done… I can’t anymore.” 

 “Me too.” Yasuko agreed, helping him down to lay on his back. Kensei stretched out on her other side, mirroring the arrangement they started in. 

 “I’ll run us a bath.” He said. “Once my head stops spinning.”


	4. Hollow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A joint mission between the 9th and 11th Divisions gets more complicated than predicted, and not because of the emotional crossover.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [This chapter intersects with another fic to be posted later.]

Kensei was still half asleep, slowly coming out of a dream not too far removed from reality. Yasuko lay beside him, sprawled out on his bed while his hands roamed her bare body and his lips wandered softly across her neck. 

 “Mm… morning.” She sighed, stretching into his touch. 

 “Morning…” He smiled against her skin and took a deep breath of her scent. 

“You keep saying you don’t want me to move in… but you always seem so happy when we wake up.” She fumbled under the blanket until she found his undeniably hard cock and squeezed. 

 “It’s a big day for you.” He deflected. “Your first real field mission… did you get enough sleep?” 

 “You know I didn’t.” She glared, but her smirk didn’t fade. “Now I’ll have to explain to my captain that I’m off my game cause I was up half the night fucking my ‘other’ captain.” 

“Do not say things like that.” He growled. “Especially to Zaraki.” 

“Is that an order, Captain?” She winked. 

“Quit that.” He smacked her thigh warningly. “We’re off duty.” 

“ _I’m_  off duty.” She corrected, glancing at the clock. His eyes got wide. “ _You’re_ late,  _Captain_.” 

“Shit!” He flew out of bed. In seconds he was dressed and running for the door. “This is why I don’t want you to move in with me!”

* * *

 “Your ‘other’ captain?” Katsuko was in stitches, her laughter mixing with the general noise of preparations. “Oh, I’m gonna have to use that one.” She opened her bag and rooted around for something. “Then again, I’m not sure Captain Unohana would appreciate the humor like Kenpachi would.” 

“You think the Captain would laugh?” Yasuko wondered. As if on queue, Kenpachi’s booming laugh sounded from across the staging yard. 

“Most likely. But he won’t be able to keep it to himself either. So unless you want your boss making jokes about your sex life to your boyfriend, it’s best not to say anything.” Katsuko considered, retrieving a bottle from the depths of her pack. 

 “Right.” Yasuko sighed. 

 “Don’t worry, kiddo. I’ve got your back.” She opened the bottle and offered her two tablets. “They take awhile to kick in, so take one now and take the other if you start to feel sluggish again. I have an ointment for those hickies too, but people will notice the smell way before they notice a hickey.” She explained, closing her bag again. 

 “Right.” She sighed again. 

 “Hey, Katsuko!” Ikkaku appeared bearing a toothy grin. “If you’re handing out performance enhancers, slide one my way.” 

 “ _You_  will be fine.” She shoved him off. “Seriously, why do you have to make everything I do sound like a sex thing?” 

 “Does he not realize that he basically just called himself impotent?” Yasuko cocked her head at his back as he walked away. 

 “He keeps this up and he’ll be an outright eunuch.” She growled. 

 “I’m really glad you’re coming with us today.” She said quietly. 

“The guys are a lot easier to deal with when you’re around.” 

 “Easier for you maybe.” She grumbled. “Sometimes I miss when they hated me just for being in Squad 4.” 

 “Alright, you fucks!” Kenpachi shouted over the din. “Let’s roll out and go kill some shit!” There was a roar of approval followed by still louder ruckus and general forward motion. Yasuko moved to follow, but turned when she noticed Katsuko was no longer beside her. The Squad 4 attaché was frozen in place bearing a face made almost exclusively of horizontal lines. 

 “Ah, yes. Behold the ground upon which I lay my affections.” 

* * *

 

Mission Summary: Joint Operation, Squads 9 & 11  
Primary Objective: Hollow Extermination  
Duration: 3-4 Days  
Risk Level: 3/5  
Squad 4 Attaches Authorized: 6  
Details: Large nest of hollows located approx 1 day's travel from the west gate.   
Nest consists of a high number of low-powered hollows and 1 high powered,   
possibly Menos class hollow. Squads 9 & 11 are ordered to execute a pincer  
maneuver, containing and eliminating the nest. 

* * *

 Squad 11’s day spent traveling went smoothly, so much so it was boring. The nest of hollows was reported a good distance from the nearest sliver of civilization, hence why it was able to grow so much before being discovered. The extermination wasn’t a problem of power, but of volume. An army hollows, no matter how weak, was a threat to be taken seriously. 

 For that reason, Squad 9 was also dispatched. The two approached from opposite directions in order to contain the horde while chipping away. In theory, it would be a great opportunity to cut the green out of their newer recruits. Real experience, low risk. In theory. 

 “Sorera Shoshaku!” Yasuko let loose a blast of fire into the sea of hollows. Their ranks were so thick, her attack didn’t have nearly the driving power she expected. It didn’t slice through and keep going past the real thing the way it did the practice dummies. Hollows didn’t shy away from the flames the way her comrades did. Even if she managed to fell two or three in one strike, they pressed ever forward in an unrelenting parade. They never tired. She did. 

“Shidehara, behind!” Someone shouted. She whirled, slicing the oncoming hollow right between its front teeth as they came down on her. 

 _It’s because we have them pinned down…_ She realized. _If Squad 9 wasn’t pushing them from the other side… we might have been able to spread out._  The drain came from having to fight without pause.  _If I could only catch my breath…_ Using Moerukoro always made it harder to breathe. Fire-based Zanpakuto had a habit of eating a lot of ambient oxygen. Soon it took more energy to inhale than it did to swing her sword. 

 “Captain! We found the ring leader!” Ikkaku’s voice rang from about fifty yards  _in_ field. He and Yumichika more or less cut a path straight to the center of the nest hoping to find the kingpin responsible for this mess. 

 “About damn time!” Kenpachi responded from slightly off-center field. Yasuko felt the earth tremble beneath her as he mowed through to the middle. All she got of the battle were the spikes of spirit energy from the ranked officers and the one powerful hollow. The foot soldier hollows were still too thick to see through. 

 Minutes dragged on. Hours, maybe. The army slowly thinned. Through the growing gaps in their ranks Yasuko caught glimpses of her comrades, all relatively unscathed but definitely tired. Sometimes she even saw Squad 9 members, which meant they were nearly through. Still, she didn’t feel any sense of relief. 

 _It isn’t like the Captain to take this long against one hollow._  Her muscles were heavy with fatigue, her throat stung from sucking air.  _Even if he’s just messing around… he usually gets bored by now._ She cut blindly through a line of hollows, only to see Ikkaku on the other side. 

 “Watch it!” He barked. 

 “Sorry…” She fell to her knees in a gesture of exhaustion that couldn’t be confused for an apology. 

 “It’s ok…” His voice softened. “Stay there.” 

 “Huh?” She lifted her head to find only scattered pockets of hollows, all being methodically wiped out by the combined 9th and 11th forces. 

 “It’s… over?” She panted. 

 “Not quite…” Ikkaku turned to the center, where Kenpachi still dueled the lead hollow. 

 “Is everyone in one piece over here?” Katsuko flashed up from the back lines. 

“Yes, but we have a bit of a problem.” Yumichika indicated the last ongoing fight. Kenpachi’s every attack seemed absorbed by the hollow’s spongy flesh. It wasn’t as if his sword bounced off, rather it didn’t move at all when it made contact. 

 “It must have some weird ability so melee attacks don’t work…” Yasuko observed.

 “I took a crack at it too.” Ikkaku said. “It felt like all the strength ran out of me the second I hit it… like my arm fell asleep.” Katsuko and Yumichika exchanged pointed looks. “Then of course the Captain got mad cause I was ‘interfering,’ and he wanted to hog all the fun for himself-” 

“Ikkaku.” Katsuko addressed him sharply. “I assume Squad 9 actually values kido as a combat skill. Tell Captain Muguruma to have his best kido users target that hollow. Just make sure they stay out of Captain Zaraki’s way.” 

 “Katsuko, dear… you know he outranks you now.” Yumichika whispered. “You can’t boss him around like you did back in the day.” 

 “The Captain isn’t going to like this…” Ikkaku rubbed his head tiredly but did as she said. 

 “You were saying?” She all but stuck her tongue out at him, but once Ikkaku was out of earshot her tone changed. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” She asked quietly. 

 “If I am… then you know that kido won’t work either.” He pointed out. 

 “Well…” She turned her face to Kenpachi’s battle. “Here’s hoping we’re wrong.” Yasuko wanted to ask what they were talking about, but she was cut off by a loud kido volley. Incantations and energy blasts flew across the field. Kenpachi returned with a loud string of curses, but the hollow was practically unaffected. All their combined attacks managed to do was turn its attention to the wildly unprepared ranks of soul reapers standing around watching. 

 The next thing they knew it was running over their lines like grass. Any attempts to slow or stop it were met with the same shock-absorbing mass and fell useless. 

 “Sorera Shoshaku!” Yasuko cried as it charged them. Her flames broke over its skin like nothing more than water. There wasn’t time to try anything else, to even dive out of the way. One of the hollow’s thick legs made contact with her gut. Pain replaced all the air in her diaphragm as she flew, crashed, and rolled to a stop on the grass. 

 As far as she could tell, everything went black for only a few seconds. Her senses came back into focus one by one. 

 “Shidehara!” Someone shouted her name, but it sounded like they were under water. She swallowed and choked, her ears popped and she realized it was Kensei’s voice. “Shidehara, are you alright?” He leaned over her, his face torn between personal and professional concern. For one fleeting second, the dread in her chest evaporated. Some part of her couldn’t help feeling everything would be ok with him there. 

 “Mm fine… I think…” She tried to sit up. 

 “Don’t push yourself, alright?” He hid his worry behind his authoritative tone, but it was ruined by his soft touch on her shoulder. “The ranked officers can handle it from here.” 

 “It’s coming back around!” Katsuko warned. In a flash Kensei was on his feet, Tachikaze gripped in one fist. Had she not been on the ground, Yasuko might not have notice the tremble in his legs. 

  _He’s tired…_ She thought, a cold jolt freezing her stomach.  _More tired than I’ve ever seen him…_  Kensei’s empty hand clenched until his knuckles popped. Hesitantly, he reached up and put on his white vizard mask.  _This is bad…_

The hollow ran past them, intent on stomping another cluster of soul reapers into the ground. Kensei followed, his dark spirit energy leaving Yasuko with a shiver. Yumichika followed him. 

 “Don’t do anything stupid!” Katsuko hollered after him. “We need to get you out of the way.” She helped her up, pulling one arm across her shoulders. Yasuko couldn’t justify protesting. Kensei was already in bad shape without having to worry about her too. 

 The tree line wasn’t far. Katsuko put her down against a thick tree. Spiking spirit energy still reached them at this distance. Now that he’d gotten serious, Kenpachi’s spirit energy left Yasuko feeling heavy and weak. 

 “Look at me.” Katsuko proceeded to check her eyes, looking for signs of concussion. 

 “It’s just toying with us…” She realized. Another round of attacking soul reapers were slapped away like flies; their bodies hit the ground with stomach-turning weight. “Why doesn’t it just eat us?” 

 “Because it’s getting more out of us alive.” Katsuko muttered as if her statement wasn’t loaded like a cannon. 

 “You… you know how to beat this thing.” Yasuko blurted. 

 “I  _think_  I know.” Katsuko corrected, “if I’m wrong… it could be very, very bad.” 

“Worse than this?” Yasuko pointed with her eyes. It wasn’t just low-ranked soul reapers on the ground anymore. Even Kenpachi’s spirit energy was wavering, a scary observation even if he was still wearing his eye patch. Yumichika was thrown and landed only a few yards away. When he tried to get up he just collapsed. Katsuko spent a conspicuously long time checking her minor injuries before going to him. 

 “Now I’m sure of it…” He coughed. “That thing… uhg, being on the receiving end is worse than I imagined.” 

 “Fuck…” She groaned. “I was not planning on drawing my sword today.” 

“Don’t do anything rash.” He grabbed her wrist. “We’ll find another way.” 

 “Don’t be naïve.” She brushed him off and stood. “You know there isn’t another way.” She pulled a thread in her left sleeve. It came away from her shihakusho at the shoulder and she threw it on the ground beside him. 

 “Katsuko, wait!” He tried, but she was gone too fast. 

 “This life was always a dream.” She sighed, flicked her sword from its hold, and walked straight for the hollow. “I should be glad it lasted as long as it did.”

* * *

The hollow settled in the center of the field again, content to bat away their disorganized attacks like it was playing a game. Up close, she saw clearly the transfer of spirit energy from attacker to defender that kept this battle dragging on. 

“Keep on… keep on…” The hollow hummed to himself. “I’ll keep swallowing your spirit energy until you’re all empty husks…” He seemed oblivious to her approach until Kenpachi shouted her name from across the field. 

 “Katsuko! What the hell are you doing?!” 

“Do us all a favor.” She addressed the hollow flatly, ignoring Kenpachi’s continued yelling.  _If I look at him I’ll lose my nerve…_ So she locked her eyes to the sunken craters of the hollow’s mask and drew her blade. “Just hold still.” 

“Ha!” His maw of a mouth opened with a hot and rancid laugh. “What makes you think you can stand against me?” He let go a blast of spirit energy that shook the very ground, knocking every other soul reaper to their knees. Yet Katsuko remained standing, her face a mask of unaffected boredom. “What do you think you can do, little soul reaper, that your stupid friends couldn’t? Hmm?” 

“What can you do… that your great dead army couldn’t?” She raised an eyebrow. 

 “I see…” The red pupils shadowed by his mask narrowed and traced her figure up and down. “That’s how you’re still standing… all that borrowed spirit energy you have stored up… You’ll make for more of a meal than all of your pathetic friends combined!” She didn’t even flinch when his massive arm swung at her, gripping around her middle and hoisting her into the air. Spirit energy fled her body like heat on a cold day, only to be replaced by the wash of ambient energy still clinging to the battlefield air. 

“Unbelievable.” She sighed. “To think I’d have to release my sword… to throw everything away… over scum like you.” 

 “Katsuko!” Kenpachi was getting closer; she could feel his spirit energy on the back of her neck. 

 “Chew.” She commanded. “Shinshutsueki.” With a soft, almost musical tinging, the blade in her left hand cracked and shattered into jagged pieces.  _32 pieces._ She knew. They flew from their sealed position to take up their place in a floating curve around her arm.  _16 above… 16 below…_  They formed their two orderly lines, mirroring the waiting mouth of the hollow. Her mouth watered, her teeth itched. Hunger opened like a chasm in her stomach. 

 “Do us both a favor.” The hollow mocked. “Don’t struggle.” He lifted her to his mouth, jaws wide open, ready to swallow her whole. Foul breath rose out of his throat, strong enough to make her gag. 

 “The worst part about this shikai…” She reached out to grab the beveled edge of his mask. “… I have to get close enough to my enemy…” The shards of Shinshutsueki quivered in anticipation, clacking against each other. “… to  _bite_.” All at once the sword teeth arced through the air, piercing the bony plate in an uneven ellipse. 

 “Gyah-!” The hollow cried out in pain and abruptly dropped her. Her back hit the ground first, forcing the air out of her lungs. 

 Spirit energy drained through the sword teeth at such a speed it was almost visible. It flowed into Katsuko’s body far past her limit. The power strained at her muscles, popping fibers and forcing veins to the surface. Still she drew more, determined to drain every last drop from the hollow that caused so much damage. Her skin split open at its weakest points, under her deltoids, up her thighs, across her collar. With a guttural scream, she let it all go. A shockwave fanned across the battlefield, knocking any left standing to the ground. Oh, she wanted to scream again. She wanted to roar she felt so good. All the foreign spirit energy coursing through her body made her positively high. 

 It all came crashing down when she stood up… and faced Kenpachi. Suddenly everything was silent, still, heavy. Part of her prayed he wasn’t smart enough to understand what he just saw, but there was no getting past him when he paid attention. And she had his full attention. The scowl on his face deepened the more he processed until his whole expression was turned, glaring into absolute, permeating, disgust. 

 “… Yer a fucking leech.” He spat out his realization with unbridled venom. Katsuko drew herself up to her full height and swallowed hard, ready to defend herself. When she opened her mouth to reply, they were overtaken by a new and frantic uproar. 

* * *

 Yasuko struggled to her feet and did her best to run. The force of Katsuko’s shockwave had knocked her head against the tree and now everything was out of focus. But she didn’t need to see clearly to tell something was very wrong. She didn’t need to hear the Squad 9 officers shouting his name. All she needed was to feel the seeping coldness of Kensei’s hollow powers still active on the battlefield. _I knew this was bad… I was so worried he would get hurt… I never thought he’d lose control…_

“Stay back!” Shuhei shouted to the officers pressing in. Kensei was hunched over, heaving under the effort of ragged breaths. The bones of his mask had spread to his neck, and the same substance fused his fists into maces. 

“Captain Muguruma, snap out of it!” Someone yelled. “The fight’s over!” 

 “Take it easy…” Another officer stepped too close and Kensei threw a punch with startling force. Swords were drawn all around, a reflex to the scare. It only agitated him more. He lunged at the nearest soul reaper, and then the next, wildly flailing his arms and growling like a beast. 

 “Kensei…” She dared to whisper. 

 “I said stay back! Give him some room, dammit!” Shuhei yelled again. 

 “It’s no use.” Someone said. “We have to cut him down.” 

 “No!” Yasuko shrieked. “How can you say that?!” 

 “Stay out of this, little girl.” He shot back. “The Captain said if anything like this were to happen, we have to cut him down before he seriously hurts anyone.” 

“That isn’t your call!” Shuhei barked. Drawn by their voices, Kensei charged. Yasuko dove out of the way, barely able to right herself when he turned and attacked again. The sinister red eyes behind his mask locked on to her. 

 _Kensei… Kensei, I know you’re in there…_  She wanted to believe it, had to believe it. She was paralyzed on the ground for fighting her own reflexes, for choking down the ‘fight’ response that had her itching to reach for her sword.  _I can’t… I won’t draw my sword against you…_

 “Shidehara!” Shuhei warned as if she didn’t see the half-hollowed visored bearing down on her. 

 _You won’t hurt me… I know you won’t…_  The same couldn’t be said for his terrified officers. She wouldn’t put it past them to cut her down along with him. Tears welled in her eyes. Tremors from his approaching footfalls vibrated in her bones until her whole body shook.  _Kensei…_  He drew back his fist, she didn’t have enough control to dodge. The only muscles she could force to move ended in a shrill cry that ripped through her throat and cinched her eyes shut, bracing for the worst. “ _Kensei_!” 

 Her scream seemed to silence the whole field, to freeze everyone and everything in time. She looked up to see his frame blurred by tears. 

 “Kensei…?” She whimpered. Every muscle in his hulking frame was tense and quivering, eyes flickering behind his mask. “Kensei, it’s ok… everyone’s safe… you don’t have to fight anymore…” He let out a low rumbling sound, like a growl but softer. “Please… come back… come back to me.” 

 “Ya… su… ko…” The hollow edge of his voice dulled, mixing with the steady tone he usually bore. 

 “It’s ok… I’m here…” Slowly, she reached one wavering hand toward his face. Her fingertips brushed the bony cheek of his mask. It was icy cold, and full of static sparks barely contained beneath the surface. The frequency of her soft touch, of her warm skin was so unlike it, the disruption was profound. With a sharp crack, the mask shattered. Fragments fell away and dissolved before they hit the ground. Beneath it, Kensei’s face appeared unharmed, unchanged, albeit bewildered. 

“Yasuko…?” He blinked, his amber eyes finally his own again. 

 “Kensei…” She sobbed, pressing both palms thankfully to his face. 

 “Are you alright?” He faltered balancing on one arm, but managed to brush her hair away from her face.

 “I’m fine. You’re the one who had us worried.” She tried to smile. 

 “… us?” He suddenly seemed to realize where they were, and exactly how many people were watching. They eyes of dozens of soul reapers looked on while he practically laid on top of her. “We should stand up.” He said abruptly and pulled her to her feet. 

 “I’m glad you’re both ok…” Shuhei approached carefully. “Everyone else’s injuries seem to be minor too.”

 “No thanks to me…” Kensei rubbed his face. “You’re sure I didn’t hurt you? I don’t think I could forgive myself if I did…” 

 “I’m fine…” She promised, choking on a wave of relieved tears. “Let’s just go home.” 

 “Ok…” Kensei slung his arm around her shoulder, holding her close to his chest as they walked. Not like he needed the support, but who cared if that’s what it looked like. 

 “I think we’re done here.” He announced. “Let’s get going.” Their comrades were all too happy to obey. Both squads regrouped and headed towards the Seireitei together. “Oh, and don’t think you’re going to get away with calling me by my first name in front of my entire division.” He said. 

* * *

 As they moved out, Kenpachi could be seen peering over everyone’s heads, scanning for the Squad 4 attaché he wasn’t finished with. 

 “Where’s Katsuko?” He snapped. 

 “She, uh… left.” Yumichika gestured in a generally westward direction. Kenpachi let out a low, wordless growl. 

 “Take care of things here, get everyone back home… I’m gonna take care of this lying bitch.” With that, he flashed out of sight.


End file.
